Artificial limb.



M. SAKOWSKI.

AHTlFIClAL LIME.

APPLICATION HLED 0EC.26. nan.

1 ,267, 12 1 Patented May 21, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

M. SAKOWSKI.

ARTEFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-26. 1911.

1,267, 121. Patented May 21,1918.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 5-

MAX BAKOWBKI, 01!! MASSILLON, OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL 141MB.

fipeolfloatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed December 26, 1917. Serial No. 208,821.

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known t at I, Max Saxowsm, a citizen of Russia, having declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Massillon, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an artificial upper-limb adapted to be comfortably worn by a person whose arm has been amputated at or near the shoulder, a hand member being provided having adjustable fingers for grasping objects when desired.

A still further object of the device is to provide an artificial arm and hand that may be readily worn by a person and is light in weight and is serviceable for soldiers whose arms have been amputated.

In the drawin forming a part of this application and 1n which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upperarm member detached showing the lower side thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fperspective view of the upper end portion 0 the lower-arm detached member.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the back of the hand.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the palm thereof.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the hand and the wrist portion of the arm.

Fig. 7 is a detail view partially in section of the adjustable elbow joint.

Fig. 8 1s a perspective view of one of the catch springs employed with the finger members, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the finger operatingi'ineans detached.

Referrin more in etail to the drawing the device roadly consists of an artificial up er-limb 1O havin a hand 11 fore-arm 12 an upper-arm 13, t e device being adapted for attachment to the shoulder of the person by means of an inclosing harness 14 at the free end of the upper-arm 13 provided with cords 15 for connectingthe shoe with a flexible pad 16 having a central openin 17 through which the other arm of the individual is positioned,

The fore and up er arms 12 and 13. are connected together y an elbow joint 18 in the form of a hinge, the upper arm having a disk member 19 pivoted within a slot 20 in the upper end 0 the fore-arm by means of a pivot pin 21.

The disk 19 is provided with sockets 22 adapted to receive a spring pressed bolt 23 carried by the upper end of the fore-arm and normally re ected within the slot 20 thereof. A sli the back of the fore-arm 12 connected with the bolt 23 by means of a pivoted lever 25, an upward sliding movement of the late 24 being adapted for retracting the bolt 23 from the sockets 22 and into which the bolt automatically drops when the arm is either outstretched as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings or bent at the elbow as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7 thereof. In this manner, the device may be readily attached and worn by a person and the arm locked temporarily either in its outstretched or bent arrangement.

The hand 11 has a body portion 26 with four fingers 28 hinged to the palm 29 thereof by means of hinges 30. A passa 31 is arranged through the hand body 26 or each of the fingers registering with a chamber 32 in each of the fingers 28 and terminating at 33 in the lower side of the wrist portion 34 of the device. An angular lever 35 is connected'by means of a r1 'd link 36 with each of the fingers 28 within the said passage 31 and chamber 32 thereof while a slide block 37 is arranged upon the wrist 34 secured to the outer en of the lever 35.

By this arrangement, a movement of the block 37 toward the hand 11 forces the rigid link 36 forwardly and by reason of its pivotal attachment to the outer side of the adjacent finger 28, such finger will be bent or swung upon its hinge 30 inwardly toward the palm 29 as best illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 6 of the drawings. A catch spring 38 is arranged in each slot 33 having a shoulder 39 for resiliently engaging the forward edge 40 of the ad acent lock 37 when the block is forwardly positioned with the finger in bent relations. A rubber band or strip 41 is connected to the back of the e plate 24 is arranged upon hand body 26 and the forward section 42 of each of the fingers 28 for returning the said fingers substantially outstretched in their normal arrangement when the blocks 37 are released from the springs 38 by inwardlK pressing upon the finger posts 43 with whic each of the said springs is provided.

Hinges 44 are arranged at the backs of the fingers 28 for connecting the free end portions 42 thereof with the main rtions of the fingers 28, these hinges 44 un erlying the bands 41. A cord or wire 45 is provided for each of the fingers 28 passing through the chamber 32 thereof over a transverse in 46 arran ed therein, one end of the said cord 45 belng attached as at 47 to the hand body 26 within the passage 31 thereof while its opposite end passes through a perforation 48 in the finger and is attached as at 49 to-the adjacent end of the forward joint or section 42 thereof.

When one of the blocks 37 is moved forwardly and en aged with its respective sprin 38, the nger 28 which is attached to sue block b means of a lever 35 and link 36 will be fol ed against the action of the band 41 moving inwardly upon its hinge 30 while the action of the cord 45 will be to inwardly bend the free end section 42 of the finger inwardly toward the palm 29 of the hand 11. A serviceable construction is provided which may be readily worn by the person and bent upon the elbow joint 18 and retained either bent or outstretched while the fingers of the hand may be readily manipulated by the other hand of the wearer for graspin objects, the said fingers being automatical y released upon operating the catch sprin 38.

What I c aim as new is:-

1. In combination with an artificial arm having a wrist portion, a hand carried thereby having fingers hingedlg arranged upon the hand with ssages t rough the hand extending into t e fingers and terminating in slots through the wrist ortion of the arm, sliding blocks upon sai wrist, operating connections between the said blocks and fingers within said assa es, spring retainers for the said bloc s, re easing means for said retainers, resilient returning bands for the said fingers, and free end portions for the fingers operatively connected to the hand within the passages therethrough whereby the fingers are inwardly foldable toward the alm of the hand upon moving the said locks toward the hand.

2. An artificial arm comprising a hand and wrist portion having a passage therethrough terminating in a slot in the wrist portion, fingers hinged to the hand portion for movement toward the palm thereof, means for movi the fingers toward the palm extending t ough said passage and said slot and pivoted to the fingers, releasable catch means for said moving means, resilient means for substantially straightening the fingers when released, a free end portion hinged to each finger, and connections between said free end ortions and the hand within said passage t ereof whereby said free end portions are caused to move toward the palm of the hand when the fingers J are swung u 11 their hinges.

3. In com ination with an artificial arm having a wrist portion, a hand carried thereby having fingers hingedl arranged upon the hand with passages rough the hand extending into the fingers and terminating in slots through the wrist ortion of the arm, sliding blocks upon sai wrist, operating connections between said blocks and said fingers within said passages, spring retainers for said .blocks, releaslng means for said retainers, and resilient returning means for said fingers.

4. In combination with an artificial arm having a wrist portion and a hand portion, finger members hingedly carried by said hand portion, end members hingedly carried by said finger members, rods hi edly connected to sald fin r members an extending to a oint ad acent said wrist portion, forward y slidable means at said wrist portion and connected to said rods for swinging said finger members toward the alm of the hand portion, means for retainmg said finger member swinging means in its forward position, resilient means connected to the back of the hand ortion and to the end members to norma y maintain the finger members and the end members in substantially straightened position, and means connected to the hand ortion and to the end members to cause the atter to swing toward the palm of the hand portion when the fin or members are swung toward the palm o the hand portion.

5. In combination with an artificial arm having a wrist portion and a hand. ortion, finger members hingedly carried by said hand portion, end members hingedl carried by said finger members, said hand portion and finger members havingpassa s therethrough, rods hin dly connecte to said finger members an extending through the assages in said hand portion to a point adacent said wrist portion, forwardly movable means extending through said wrist ortion and connected to said rods for swinging said finger members toward the palm of the hand portion, means for retaining said finger member swinging means in its forward position, resilient means connected to the back of the hand ortion and to the end members to norma ly maintain the finger members and the end members in substantially strai htened position, and means connected to t e hand portion and to the end members to cause the latter to swing to- 6. In combination with an artificial arm,

6 having a hand ortion, finger members hingedly carried y said hand portion, end members hingedly carried by said finger mem- 'gsaldfingermembers bers, means for swm toward the palm 0 the hand portion, and

means connected to the hand portion extend- 10 ing through the finger members and connected to the end members to cause said end members to swin independentl of the finger members tower the palm of t e hand portion when the fin toward the palm of t e hand portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix m si ature.

MAX sAK bv s KI.

er members are swung 16 

